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Scholarly Publishing : More info: SCIMago Journal Rank (SJR)

This guide points users to information on academic publishing, covering topics such as measuring journal impact and quality, the peer review process, selecting the appropriate journal for publication, and more.

What is SCImago Journal Rank (SCR?)

The SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) is a metric used to assess the prestige of academic journals. It is a journal-level metric, meaning it evaluates the overall impact of a journal rather than individual articles.

How is SCImago Journal Rank Calculated?

The SJR, specifically the newer version called SJR2, is calculated by taking the weighted number of citations a journal's citable publications receive in a given year, based on articles published in the three preceding years. This total is then divided by the number of citable publications in the journal during those same three years. Citations from more prestigious journals carry greater weight, with the "prestige" being influenced by the field. Additionally, SJR considers the "closeness" of journals through co-citation networks, giving more weight to citations from closely related journals.

How do I Interpret a SCIMago Journal Rank?:

To interpret an SJR, consider the following example: If The Journal of Innovative Studies had an SJR of 2.3 in 2020, this means that articles published in The Journal of Innovative Studies during 2017, 2018, and 2019 received an average of 2.3 weighted citations in 2020. This reflects the journal's relative prestige and influence in its field during that time period.

 

For more detailed information on SJR calculation, refer to the 2012 article by Guerrero-Bote and Moya-Anegón.

 

Note: It is important to remember that SJRs are based solely on citations from publications indexed in Scopus; citations from non-Scopus publications are not included.

Finding a journal's SCImago Journal Rank

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Limitations of SCImago Journal Rank as a metric

- Skewed by citation outliers (a single highly-cited article can heavily influence the SJR).
- Penalizes interdisciplinary work (citations within the co-citation network are weighted more).
- Not all citations are positive (e.g., citing to dispute findings).
- "Good" SJR varies by field.
- Includes some self-citation (capped but still possible to game).
- Vulnerable to manipulation (e.g., citation cartels).
- Time-lag (reflects past citations, not current relevance).
- Language bias (English-language journals tend to have higher SJRs).
- Discipline bias (faster-cycling fields may have naturally higher SJRs).
- Overemphasis on journal impact (may overlook the impact of individual articles or authors).